Research led by John Antonakis at the University of Lausanne found that targeted training produced a medium improvement in how charismatic people appeared to others—evidence that charisma is not merely something you are born with, but a set of behaviours that can be deliberately strengthened.

A young man gives a presentation on data analysis in a modern office setting.

Charisma has a reputation problem. We tend to treat it as a private voltage: some people walk into a room with it, others do not, and the rest of us are left admiring or resenting the difference. ...